Gold-tier hospital insurance covers all 38 treatments outlined by the Australian government. This includes treatments like joint replacements, pregnancy, insulin pumps, as well as all services covered by Silver-tier policies. See below for a comprehensive list.
HIF has taken the top spot for the Gold tier of hospital insurance, offering an excellent product for anyone after the most comprehensive private health coverage. The not-for-profit has a small market share, but has been making a big impact.
HIF has taken the top spot for the Gold tier of hospital insurance, offering an excellent product for anyone after the most comprehensive private health coverage. The not-for-profit has a small market share, but has been making a big impact.
Highly commended 
Medibank Private Limited's Medibank Gold Protect is Highly Commended in the Gold Hospital Health Insurance category. Offering comprehensive, top-tier protection, this policy brings a strong range of benefits for those who want the highest level of hospital cover.
Medibank Private Limited's Medibank Gold Protect is Highly Commended in the Gold Hospital Health Insurance category. Offering comprehensive, top-tier protection, this policy brings a strong range of benefits for those who want the highest level of hospital cover.
Frank Health Insurance is also Highly Commended this year in the Gold Hospital Health Insurance category for its Frank Gold Hospital policy. Delivering extensive, high-level cover, it represents a powerful value proposition within the comprehensive Gold tier.
Frank Health Insurance is also Highly Commended this year in the Gold Hospital Health Insurance category for its Frank Gold Hospital policy. Delivering extensive, high-level cover, it represents a powerful value proposition within the comprehensive Gold tier.
Gold-tier hospital insurance covers all 38 treatments outlined by the Australian government. This includes treatments like joint replacements, pregnancy and insulin pumps, as well as all services covered by Silver-tier policies.
Silver-tier hospital insurance covers at least 26 treatments outlined by the Australian government. This includes treatments like dental surgery, lung and chest, and podiatric surgery, as well as all services covered by Bronze-tier policies.
Basic-tier hospital insurance isn't required to fully cover any treatments outlined by the Australian government, but it does need to have restricted cover for rehabilitation, hospital psychiatric services and palliative care. Generally, Basic cover is primarily used to avoid the Medicare Levy Surcharge and Lifetime Health Cover loading.
*Average prices updated April 2026, in line with Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices are based on a single individual with less than $105,000 income and living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
The cost of health insurance will vary based on your state, age, income and more. It'll also change based on whether you're buying hospital cover on its own or with an extras policy.
To give you an idea of costs, we've gotten the average monthly cost for gold hospital cover and broken it down per state. These costs are based on a single individual with less than $105,000 income with a $750 excess.
| Average monthly premium | |
|---|---|
| NSW | $307.90 |
| QLD | $324.79 |
| VIC | $333.38 |
| TAS | $294.80 |
| SA | $275.10 |
| NT | $180.49 |
| WA | $261.36 |
These average prices are updated as of April 2026, in line with Finder's database of health insurance policies.
Waiting periods refer to the time between when you take out a policy and the time when you're able to claim on that policy. This is relevant to those who are taking out a policy for the first time and those who have increased their cover level, say, from silver to gold.
The government sets the maximum waiting periods for all services. They are:
In some special circumstances, you can access mental health treatment in a hospital without having to serve the waiting period.
For extras policies, insurers can set their own waiting periods.
"I got Medibank Gold Hospital health insurance so I was covered for obstetrics. Providing my healthcare details to the private hospital was really easy and Medibank called me via their concierge service as I was approaching my due date to answer any questions I might have. Best of all, my baby was covered under the same policy from birth, which meant that the unexpected ambulance transfer across the city and specialist tests for him were also covered. Overall, it was a good experience and I plan to stay with Medibank for any subsequent pregnancies. "
If you're starting a family and want to have access to a private room during childbirth, you're going to want a gold hospital policy. Benefits only available on gold policies include:
Getting older means you're more susceptible to certain conditions – gold coverage includes a range of treatments that are especially useful to older Australians. A few examples that are helpful for seniors include:
There are many other treatments only covered under gold-tier health insurance policies which may be essential for some people. Here are a few gold treatments that could apply to you:
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